Adjacent Words

This definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

THIS, definitive adjective or substitute. plu. these.
1. This is a definitive, or definitive adjective, denoting something that is present or near in place or time, or something just mentioned. Is this your younger brother? What trespass is this which ye have committed?
Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? John 9.
When they heard this, they were pricked to the heart. Acts 2.
In the latter passage, this is a substitute for what had preceded, vix. the discourse of Peter just delivered. In like manner, this often represents a word, a sentence or clause, or a series of sentences of events.
In some cases, it refers to what is future, or to be immediately related.
But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Matthew 24.
Here this refers to the whole subsequent member of the sentence.
2. By this, is used elliptically for by this time; as, by this the mail has arrived.
3. This is used with words denoting time past; as, I have taken no snuff for this month; and often with plural words. I have not wept this forty years.
In this case, this, in the singular, refers to the whole term of time, or period; this period of forty years.
4. This is opposed to that.
This way and that the wav'ring sails they bend.
A body of this or that denomination is produced.
This and that, in this use, denote difference indefinitely.
5. When this and that refer to different things before expressed, this refers to the thing last mentioned, and that to the thing first mentioned. [See These.]
Their judgment in this we may not, and in that we need not, follow.
6. It is sometimes opposed to other.
Consider the arguments which the author had to write this, or to design the other, before you arraign him.

Merriam Webster's

I. pronoun (plural these) Etymology: Middle English, pronoun & adjective, from Old English thes (masculine), this (neuter); akin to Old High German dese this, Old English thζt that Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) the person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought or that has just been mentioned <these are my hands> (2) what is stated in the following phrase, clause, or discourse <I can only say this: it wasn't here yesterday> b. this time or place <expected to return before this> 2. a. the one nearer or more immediately under observation or discussion <this is iron and that is tin> b. the one more recently referred to II. adjective (plural these) Date: before 12th century 1. a. being the person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought or that has just been mentioned <this book is mine> <early this morning> b. constituting the immediately following part of the present discourse c. constituting the immediate past or future <friends all these years> d. being one not previously mentioned — used especially in narrative to give a sense of immediacy or vividness <then this guy runs in> <had this urge to go shopping> 2. being the nearer at hand or more immediately under observation or discussion <this car or that one> III. adverb Date: 15th century to the degree or extent indicated by something in the immediate context or situation <didn't expect to wait this long>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

pron., adj., & adv. --demons.pron. (pl. these) 1 the person or thing close at hand or indicated or already named or understood (can you see this?; this is my cousin). 2 (contrasted with that) the person or thing nearer to hand or more immediately in mind. 3 the action, behaviour, or circumstances under consideration (this won't do at all; what do you think of this?). 4 (on the telephone): a Brit. the person speaking. b US the person spoken to. --demons.adj. (pl. these) 1 designating the person or thing close at hand etc. (cf. senses 1, 2 of pron.). 2 (of time): a the present or current (am busy all this week). b relating to today (this morning). c just past or to come (have been asking for it these three weeks). 3 colloq. (in narrative) designating a person or thing previously unspecified (then up came this policeman). --adv. to this degree or extent (knew him when he was this high; did not reach this far). Phrases and idioms: this and that colloq. various unspecified examples of things (esp. trivial). this here sl. this particular (person or thing). this much the amount or extent about to be stated (I know this much, that he was not there). this world mortal life. Etymology: OE, neut. of thes

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

This This ([th][i^]s), pron. & a.; pl. These ([th][=e]z). [OE. this, thes, AS. [eth][=e]s, masc., [eth]e['o]s, fem., [eth]is, neut.; akin to OS. these, D. deze, G. dieser, OHG. diser, deser, Icel. [thorn]essi; originally from the definite article + a particle -se, -si; cf. Goth. sai behold. See The, That, and cf. These, Those.] 1. As a demonstrative pronoun, this denotes something that is present or near in place or time, or something just mentioned, or that is just about to be mentioned. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. --Acts ii. 37. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched. --Matt. xxiv. 43. 2. As an adjective, this has the same demonstrative force as the pronoun, but is followed by a noun; as, this book; this way to town. Note: This may be used as opposed or correlative to that, and sometimes as opposed to other or to a second this. See the Note under That, 1. This way and that wavering sails they bend. --Pope. A body of this or that denomination is produced. --Boyle. Their judgment in this we may not, and in that we need not, follow. --Hooker. Consider the arguments which the author had to write this, or to design the other, before you arraign him. --Dryden. Thy crimes . . . soon by this or this will end. --Addison. Note: This, like a, every, that, etc., may refer to a number, as of years, persons, etc., taken collectively or as a whole. This twenty years have I been with thee.. --Gen. xxxi. 38. I have not wept this years; but now My mother comes afresh into my eyes. --Dryden.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use this to refer back to a particular person or thing that has been mentioned or implied. When food comes out of any oven, it should stand a while. During this delay the centre carries on cooking... On 1 October the US suspended a proposed $574 million aid package for 1991. Of this amount, $250 million is for military purchases. DET: DET sing-n/n-uncount • This is also a pronoun. I don't know how bad the injury is, because I have never had one like this before. PRON 2. You use this to introduce someone or something that you are going to talk about. This is what I will do. I will telephone Anna and explain. PRON • This is also a determiner. This report is from David Cook of our Science Unit: 'Why did the dinosaurs become extinct?' DET: DET sing-n/n-uncount 3. You use this to refer back to an idea or situation expressed in a previous sentence or sentences. You feel that it's uneconomic to insist that people work together in groups. Why is this?... PRON • This is also a determiner. There have been continual demands for action by the political authorities to put an end to this situation. DET: DET sing-n/n-uncount 4. In spoken English, people use this to introduce a person or thing into a story. I came here by chance and was just watching what was going on, when this girl attacked me... DET: DET sing-n 5. You use this to refer to a person or thing that is near you, especially when you touch them or point to them. When there are two or more people or things near you, this refers to the nearest one. 'If you'd prefer something else I'll gladly have it changed for you.'—'No, this is great.'... 'Is this what you were looking for?' Bradley produced the handkerchief... PRON • This is also a determiner. This church was built in the eleventh century. DET: DET sing-n 6. You use this when you refer to a general situation, activity, or event which is happening or has just happened and which you feel involved in. I thought, this is why I've travelled thousands of miles... Tim, this is awful. I know what you must think, but it's not so... PRON: PRON with be 7. You use this when you refer to the place you are in now or to the present time. We've stopped transporting weapons to this country by train... I think coffee is probably the best thing at this point... DET: DET sing-n/n-uncount • This is also a pronoun. This is the worst place I've come across... PRON 8. You use this to refer to the next occurrence in the future of a particular day, month, season, or festival. We're getting married this June... DET: DET sing-n 9. You use this when you are indicating the size or shape of something with your hands. They'd said the wound was only about this big you see and he showed me with his fingers. ADV: ADV adj 10. You use this when you are going to specify how much you know or how much you can tell someone. I am not going to reveal what my seven-year plan is, but I will tell you this much, if it works out, the next seven years will be very interesting. ADV: ADV adv 11. If you say this is it, you are agreeing with what someone else has just said. 'You know, people conveniently forget the things they say.'—'Well this is it.' CONVENTION [formulae] 12. You use this in order to say who you are or what organization you are representing, when you are speaking on the telephone, radio, or television. Hello, this is John Thompson... PRON 13. You use this to refer to the medium of communication that you are using at the time of speaking or writing. What I'm going to do in this lecture is focus on something very specific... DET: DET sing-n 14. see also these 15. If you say that you are doing or talking about this and that, or this, that, and the other you mean that you are doing or talking about a variety of things that you do not want to specify. 'And what are you doing now?'—'Oh this and that.' PHRASE